Dataset Information

Life Course Pathways Into Intergenerational Caregiving.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

We develop a framework for the analysis of pathways into intergenerational caregiving to older people provided by family members using life course concepts of key turning events in life, cumulative processes, and linked lives within the family realm.

Methods

Using framework analysis, we analyze semistructured qualitative interviews from a sample of dyads (older cared-for adults and their main family carers comprised of children, children-in-law, and grandchildren) in Austria (N = 24) and Slovenia (N = 52). Data were collected in 2019 through purposive sampling, including dyads from a differentiated socioeconomic background and gender.

Results

The analysis reveals 4 nonexclusive pathways into caregiving. One pathway is associated with single turning events occurring in family or work trajectories of carers that expanded the possibilities for caregiving later in life. A second pathway referred to cumulative processes that later influenced transitions into caregiving, such as personal biographies marked by weak labor market attachment. Another cumulative pathway, exclusive to caregiving, is characterized by continued and sustained exchanges of support within families that cement reciprocal ties that underpin caregiving at later stages. In the fourth pathway, life trajectories of siblings, but also family relationships and conflicts, constrained carers into their role.

Discussion

Decisions regarding caregiving within families can be best understood as processes, linked to developments in other trajectories in carers' lives, as much as to internal family dynamics and relationships. Becoming a carer may be itself the result of intertwined accumulated vulnerabilities, as well as cumulative exchanges within families.

SUBMITTER: Rodrigues R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9255941 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:Introduction: At the molecular level, cellular aging involves changes in multiple gene pathways, which can produce many aging phenotypes. In the liver, senescence changes lead to impaired hepatic function. We hypothesized that the natural hepatic aging process is driven by sex-dependent mechanisms. Purpose: We studied our well-established model of aging in which we have previously determined aging of metabolism, reproduction and endocrine systems. We performed liver transcriptomics (RNA-seq) on male and female rats at 110 and 650 days (d) fed with normal rat chow to determine changes key signaling pathways related to senescence processes. Methods: To identify the functional F1 liver changes due to natural aging processes, we evaluated the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between 650d and 110d in males and females, with separate pairwise comparisons due to the marked differences. Genes were filtered based on ?1.4 fold change (FC) and nominal P value <0.05 (Studentｴs t-test). Results: We found that the natural liver aging process shows sex-differences. RNA-seq revealed more male (3,967) than female (283) differentially expressed genes (DEG) and pathways over the 110d to 650d period studied. Cell cycle pathway signaling in males was accompanied by decreased protein and gene expression of key genes (CDK2, CDK4, Cycd and PCNA) and an increase of p57 at 650d vs. 110d. In females, protein and gene expression of cell growth regulators such as p15 and p21, that inhibit cell cycle G1 progression were increased. Moreover, additionally the cell senescence pathway showed sexual dimorphism in liver gene regulation. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate how the natural aging process affects the liver transcriptome signature in a sex-dependent manner, specifically in cell cycle and cell senescence pathways, pathways that contribute in a major fashion to the development of aging-induced liver diseases. Understanding cellular senescence pathways involved in the natural aging process will aid evaluation of mechanisms associated with altered aging and frailty trajectories.